Cafe Del Cielo
by CrystalIceSweet
Summary: When training Yoshi Sawada comes to a standstill, Reborn decides to return to Italy for a short break, hoping that distance will lessen his desire to strangle his student. What had started as a peaceful trip turns sour when Reborn realizes that his favorite café closed down and the space was rented to a new tenant, a mysterious Japanese man with a striking resemblance to Primo. R27
1. The Beginning

**Café Del Cielo**

When training Yoshi Sawada comes to a standstill, reborn decided to return to Italy for a short break, hoping that distance will lessen his desire to strangle his student. What had started as a peaceful trip turns sour when Reborn realizes that his favorite café closed down and the space was rented to a new tenant, a mysterious Japanese man with a striking resemblance to Primo. Slash.

A/N: For the purpose of this story, the ages of the characters have been changed. Instead of 13/14, Yoshi will be 17 and Tsuna 16. They will also be in high school. The rest of the characters will also be around this range.

Here are more dates to take in to mind:

1) The Japanese school year starts in April. The first semester ends in July (end July) and students will have their summer vacation. They come back in September for the second semester.

2) Tsuna's birthday is in October. Yoshi's birthday is also in October.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1 The Beginning<strong>

* * *

><p><strong><em>08.06.2007. Location: Namimori, Japan. Time: 8.30 PM<em>**

"This isn't working," Reborn said while trying to sound calm, but knew that he was probably only managing the wrong side of threatening. It was a gift and a curse at the same time. He could do intimidating with relative ease but couldn't manage comforting to save his life.

It was half past eight on a Wednesday night. Nana had gone out with some friends, leaving Reborn and Yoshi alone in the house. As it was turning out, it hadn't been such a good idea, because Reborn's patience with his charge was finally running out. What had started as a peaceful training session turned chaotic when Yoshi proved once again that he couldn't listen to even the simplest of instructions. In consequence, his room was trashed and Reborn was ready to throttle his charge; heir or no heir.

"What do you mean it's not working?" Yoshi hissed, frustration clear in his voice. He was sitting on the floor near his destroyed bed, legs crossed and right hand awkwardly cradling his left arm. He had landed wrong a few minutes ago and was now suffering the costs of his misjudgment.

For a minute, Reborn didn't reply. Instead, he watched his charge silently and judged him for all his worth.

The first thing obvious about the boy was that his entire body was tense to the point of breaking and the hit man knew that one push would be enough to send him over the edge. Reborn has never witnessed what a true Yoshi tantrum was like, but he suspected it was something that Xanxus would be proud to call his own. It was truly, truly pathetic. Reborn knew that the first thing he needed to do was to teach Yoshi how to keep a lid on his temper. It was so easy to provoke the kid in to a case of blind rage; a clever enemy could take advantage of that and beat him before Yoshi even knew what was going on.

"We're not working," Reborn repeated slowly, as if he was talking to particularly slow child. He hated to sound like every girl in every romantic comedy ever produced, but there was simply no other way to put it. Reborn had never had any delusions of making friends with his tutee, but he still needed the boy to respect and listen to him up to a certain point. With the way things were going, they were most likely to kill each other than trust each other. "You don't listen to my instructions and you blame me when you get hurt."

"It is your fault!" Yoshi protested angrily, pointing a finger at Reborn despite having been told numerous times not to do it. The hit man resisted the urge to snap it off but reigned in his murderous impulses at the last minute. It was a testament of how blind anger can make you that Yoshi hadn't even noticed how close he had gotten to having his hand handicapped for life. Instead, the young man continued his rant, his face growing redder by the moment. "You threw that grenade at me! How is that my fault?"

Reborn sighed long-sufferingly, once again berating himself for accepting this job. All the money and favors in the world couldn't make this hell worth living. Once this thing was over, Reborn was going to make the Ninth build a shrine in his honour.

One month in the company of Yoshi Sawada was enough for Reborn to arrive at a basic profile for the teen.

Name: Yoshi Sawada.

Age: 16.

Occupation:Pain in the ass.

Personality: arrogant, brash, egocentric and cold-hearted, with no skills to back up his words.

If this was the kind of person next in line for the Vongola Title, then Reborn was afraid for the future of the Underworld. For a second, Reborn even entertained the idea that maybe Xanxus would be better suited after all. Sure the guy was a little crazy in the head, but he was a strong fighter and would beat their enemies in to submission.

Yoshi however…

"Look," Reborn finally replied, making sure to look at the kid in the eyes. "I think we both need a break."

For once, Yoshi appeared too taken aback by his words to give a smartass retort. Unfortunatly, the surprise only lasted a second before the teen's expression was back to being suspicious and weary.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly, his anger slowing down enough for his face to return to its original color.

"It means," Reborn hissed, resisting the urge to shut the other boy up…permanently. One shot; one shot through the head and it would be all over. He could feel Leon slowly crawl down from his perch on Reborn's head, almost as if sensing its master's intentions. "I'm going back to Italy for a while and hopefully, the distance will be enough to lessen my desire to strangle you."

Yoshi blanched, taking a step back and Reborn felt an indescribable amount of satisfaction at that.

* * *

><p><strong>08.06.2007. Location: Somewhere between Japan and Italy.<strong>

"Can I get you anything else, sir?"

As the sugary sweet voice reached his ear, Reborn resisted the urge to cringe. This was the 10th time that this particular air stewardess has seen fit to interrupt his nap by asking him inane questions and offering him refreshments. The last time, he had sent her away with a sharp retort and had naively thought that would be the last of it. But, it appears that "no" doesn't seem to be engrained in her vocabulary. Why she was back, yet again, when he hadn't even called for her was anyone's guess.

Despite having to travel often for work, Reborn hated airplanes as much he hated weak-assed brats who thinks they can boss him around. Napping for a few hours usually did wonders to improve his mood and on the rare occasions he chose to fly commercial and has to share his space with other passengers, people would take one look at him and just know he was not someone to be messed with. Consequently, they would leave him in peace and Reborn could recline in his seat, close his eyes and wait for the plane to land.

Today, however, wasn't looking up to be one of those times.

"I don't need anything," Reborn snaped, cursing yet again his decision not to take up on the Ninth's offer to send him a private jet for his return home. Air Italia's first class cabin was nice and had plenty of legroom to satisfy the tall man, but it did not offer the same privacy a private jet did. And if there was one thing Reborn liked above all was privacy and silence. "Look, miss. Please don't come back again. I want a nap before this plane lands."

"Are you sure sir?"

Her tone turned seductive; a low, intimate, velvety purr that must have sounded enticing to most men, but only served to annoy Reborn further. He was used to "her" kind. He had seen thousands of them on his jobs. They had absolutely nothing that attracted him anymore.

The hit man ignored her, hoping his lack of interest would be enough to deter her from bothering him further. Much to his chagrin, instead of leaving, she leaned forward, her uniform shirt opened just far enough at the collar to show a tantalizing view of her breasts. Any lesser man, Reborn knew, would have taken up on the implied offer and follow her to whatever dingy bathroom for a round of sexual release. Even those happily married would have been tempted.

Despite his sense of moral superiority, Reborn had to admit that once upon a time – also known as the time before the Arcobaleno curse – he too would have followed her to a more private area without a second thought. The possibility that she was an enemy assassin sent out to end him would have only served to excite him further. But, after he had gotten cursed and spent the next decades in an infant's body, Reborn realized just how fleeting life really was. When, by some miracle, the curse broke and he was returned to his adult self, things like one nightstands just lost their luster. Reborn liked to think it was because he had matured and was now looking for something more…permanent.

The woman trying to get in to his pants made a frustrated sound, barely audible over the noise of the plane's engine. Reborn resisted the urge to smirk at her reaction. Technically, the hit man knew why she was so affected by his rejection. She was a pretty young thing with big blue eyes and a pair of milky white legs that seemed to go on forever. Any man's wet dream. She definitely knew it too, thus making Reborn's lack of reaction a blow to her overblown ego.

"I'm sure," Reborn replied as calmly as possible. He had to remind himself a few times that despite how annoying she was, the stewardess was still a civilian and thus cannot be disposed by his usual methods.

Finally, the woman sighed and straightened up, her right hand smoothing her skirt almost self-consciously. As she passed a hand through her blond curls, Reborn could feel the incredulous look from the businessman sitting beside him, probably wondering why Reborn hadn't agreed to her "service".

"Alright then," she said, not meeting Reborn's eye, "Have a good flight sir."

Once she had left, Reborn leaned back in to his seat.

He couldn't wait for this whole traveling part of the trip to be over.

* * *

><p><strong>08.06.2007. Location: Sicily, Italy.<strong>

"Reborn! Over here!"

Reborn's first reaction to hearing his name being used so liberally in such a public environment – where enemies could easily be hiding, his paranoid mind supplied – was that whoever was stupid enough to do so was going to die…painfully. He had done his best to keep a low profile on this trip; even going as far as using a false identity. He wasn't on any active missions for the moment so he doubted there was a target on his head, but Reborn liked to be careful with these things.

Once he had calmed his surge of irritation, his second reaction was to look for the disturbance. With trained eyes, Reborn easily found him standing to the side, arms waving at him like a lunatic.

Reborn could feel a headache coming up strong.

Why oh why couldn't the Ninth have sent anyone else but him? Anyone; even the janitor would be better than this.

The "him" in question was, of course, Yoshi's dad, Iemitsu Sawada; otherwise known as The Idiot.

Iemitsu Sawada may be a good operative most of the time, but the man didn't have a subtle bone in his body. He was brash and loud; obnoxious to the point where Reborn just wanted to put him out of his misery. It was sad that his son took so well after him when Nana had the perfect temperament for a future boss. Calm in the face of any trouble was the matriarch of the Sawada Clan.

"Iemitsu," Reborn acknowledged, ignoring the way people were glaring at Iemitsu. Reborn couldn't blame them. The idiot was way too loud to be polite, especially in a public setting.

"How was the flight?" the man asked as two of his companions – bodyguards most likely – took hold of Reborn's bag and led them towards the exit. A discreet black SUV was waiting for them, parked in the visitor's area and Reborn thanked god that Iemitsu hadn't taken something else flashier that just screamed "Mafia." The Italian Policia are getting more and more clever, forcing Reborn to take further precautions. Iemitsu really needed to follow suit. The last thing the Vongola needs was a police raid.

"It was ok," Reborn replied as succinctly as possible. He hated small talk with a passion, but the idiot Iemitsu had made it his personal mission to try to engage Reborn in as much small talk as possible.

"I've already told the cooks that you were coming today," Iemitsu continued, ignoring Reborn's darkening expression or the way his hands were slowly starting to form fists, "so they've prepared a feast in your honor."

"You shouldn't have," Reborn said and meant every word of it.

"None sense," Iemitsu waved his hands around to emphasize his point and almost managing to hit the guard in the face. The young man's expression turned sour for one millisecond before it went back to the same, unassuming blankness Reborn associated with all bodyguards.

"No," Reborn repeated, putting more force behind his words, "You shouldn't have."

Iemitsu's smile dropped.

Reborn smirked.

"Oh…"

* * *

><p><strong>08.06.2007. Location: Vongola HQ, Sicily, Italy.<strong>

For some reason, the usual trip from Japan to Italy took more out of Reborn then usual. Thus, feeling as if he had just ran a marathon instead of having to sit in an enclosed space for a few hours, all Reborn wanted was to go back to his room and sleep the weariness off. As a hit man, he wasn't used to feeling so out of sort. Constant vigilance was the name of the game and this wooziness was putting his nerves on edge. Unfortunately, Reborn knew that before he could do so, he had to report in.

The office the Ninth Don of Vongola has taken residence in was situated on the Far East side of the entrance. It was bigger than most rooms in the manor and had a wonderful view of the courtyard. The entire room was lavishly decorated with paintings from famous artists; ones that when put together, probably were worth more than his own life.

The Ninth was signing paperwork when the guard opens the door. Reborn stepped carefully inside, making sure not to unnecessarily startle the man.

"Ah Reborn," the Ninth said, finally looking up. His smile held genuine warmth as he invited Reborn to sit down. The hit man did so without further prompting. "How was your trip?"

"I'm never flying commercial again," was his only reply.

The Ninth laughed whole-heartedly at his words.

"I did offer," he chided good-naturedly and Reborn nodded.

"You did."

The small talk continued for another minute or two before the conversation arrived at the crux of the reason why he was here.

"How is young Yoshi?"

Reborn tried not to grimace – Yoshi was the man's grandson after all – but must not have done such a good job at it because Nono sighed and leaned back, his face seemingly having aged 10 years in the blink of a second.

"I was afraid of that."

"What's going on?" Reborn asked, feeling as if he was missing something big.

"Yoshi…changed," he said, "after his younger brother disappeared."

"Younger…brother…" Reborn blinked, "Why is this the first time I hear about this?"

He isn't exactly angry, but it was a close thing. Being a hit man was already dangerous enough and Reborn hated when his employer intentionally hides information from him, making his job 10 times more difficult.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't think it would be relevant," the Ninth protested, "It's been 10 years. I thought Yoshi might have recovered by now."

Reborn's eyes narrowed.

"Talk to me."

Nono nodded resignedly and began to explain.

"Young Tsu-kun, as his parents called him, was Yoshi's younger brother. Yoshi adored the kid with his whole being. When they were younger, they were absolutely inseparable. Both were happy-go-lucky types with the ability to charm everyone they come across. Tsu-kun…disappeared 10 years ago. The reason behind his disappearance has never been found. One moment he was there and the next, he was gone. There was no ransom note or anything that could point to a culprit. A special Vongola Investigative force was put together to find young Tsu-kun but to no avail. With no leads, the investigation was soon dropped. Yoshi was never the same ever again. After the disappearance, he turned bitter and cold, confrontational and disrespectful. He treated everyone with suspicion and even accused his own parents of sending his brother away."

Reborn stayed silent, not expressing his own opinion on the matter.

"Well, that's about it," the Ninth shrugged helplessly. "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was important. Please don't hold it against me."

Reborn finally nodded, his mind crowded with thoughts.

This actually puts all Yoshi's actions under an entirely new light. Looked like he needed to change his approach when dealing with the teen.

"I think I'll retire for the night if that's all," was what he said.

The ninth nodded in agreement and Reborn got up, making sure not to forget his bag.

"Good night," he said and left, the office door closing silently behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>08.07.2007. Location: Vongola HQ, Sicily, Italy. Time: 8.30 AM<strong>

"How long are you planning to stay?" Iemitsu asked the next morning, as Reborn sat down at the table for breakfast. Nono's personal cook outdid himself, Reborn decided, taking a generous bite of his _croissant. _Everything smelled delicious and judging by the explosion of flavor in his mouth, everything probably tasted delicious as well. Nana would probably love it here.

"I'm staying for the week," Reborn replied once he had chased down his bite with a mouthful of truly wonderful coffee. The drinks in Japan were passable but it was the true Italian brews that made Reborn's mouth salivate. The hit man prided himself to be somewhat of a coffee connoisseur. He only frequented the best cafes in the world and if there was a café that dared to disappoint him, the place would be out of business before the owner could blink.

One of the places that Reborn had adopted as his own was the Café Cibreo. Owned by Mr. Luciano, a chemist by trade, Café Cribreo wasn't exactly known by tourists. It was family run and served the best expresso Reborn had ever tasted. The hitman would always make sure to drop in every time he was in Italy.

Today was a good day as any to make that trip, Reborn decided.

"I'm going out today," he told Iemitsu. He didn't really want to tell the man, but the Ninth had already berated him before for not being a team player.

"Oh?" the Idiot's face lighted up. "Where are you going?"

"Café Cibreo," Reborn answered; the "you idiot" implied by his tone. After all, Café Cibreo was the only place worth going in this god-forsaken town.

Reborn may have been engrossed in his food, but he did not miss the way Iemitsu's face paled.

"Is something wrong?" Reborn asked, eyebrows rising.

"Nothing," Iemitsu replied quickly, standing up in an abrupt movement that sent the chair flying backwards. "I have to go."

He was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving his half finish breakfast behind him.

Reborn finished the rest of his breakfast alone, wondering if there was some kind of mind-altering drug in the water around here.

* * *

><p><strong>08.07.2007. Location: Cafe Cibreo (Or where it used to be), Sicily, Italy. Time: 9.30 AM<strong>

It…was…gone.

Reborn tries his best not to explode, but the ball of anger threatening to claw out of him was making him see red.

How could it be gone? His precious café! One of the only places he actually considered his home! He had been gone for a mere 2 month and it was enough for the owner to close shop, letting the place be taken over by someone else.

It…was…unacceptable.

The cellphone was in his hand before Reborn knew what he was doing, dialing Iemitsu's number with a ferocity that nearly made the screen crack.

"Hello?" came the tentative greeting.

The anger grew even more pronounced. Iemitsu probably knew about this and didn't even tell him.

He was going to kill that man.

"How could you not tell me?" Reborn hissed, "How could you let this happen?"

"Hey!" Iemitsu protested, showing a great amount of self-preservation…not, "I couldn't do anything! The owner's wife has taken ill and he was forced to close down shot to spend more time with her. What was I supposed to do?"

At the mention of dear Mrs. Luciano's illness, Reborn felt some of his anger and frustration dissipate in to thin air. Sure he was still angry – and kind of sad – that the café was gone, but at least now, he understood the motivation behind the sale.

"Besides," Iemitsu continued in a more subdued tone, "The new owner seems nice. I haven't had time to visit yet, but some of the younger recruits have nothing but kind words to say about him."

"And what about the coffee?" the hit man snapped. He didn't care how nice the new owner was, but if he couldn't make a decent cup of coffee than Reborn was going to make sure he never works in the food industry ever again.

"Why don't you take a chance and go in?" Iemitsu suggested, "A change of air might even be good for you."

Reborn growled in to the receiver and Iemitsu took that as his cue to hang up.

* * *

><p><strong>08.07.2007. Location: Cafe Del Cielo, Sicily, Italy.<strong>

The door to the Café – Café de Ciello, Reborn read – opened easily with a push of his hand and the moment the hit man set foot inside, he was immediately bombarded by a myriad of delicious smells that invariably made his mouth water. He allowed himself a few seconds for his eyes to make the transition from the bright sun outside to the more subdued and intimate lighting of the inside, before looking around. From what he could see, the new tenant did nothing to change the original décor. That went a long way to put Reborn more at ease.

Due to the early morning, the place was empty so instead of choosing a table, Reborn went to sit at the bar. The leather seat felt wonderful under him, firm but not rigid. Reborn let out a contented sigh.

He had truly missed this place.

Once the nostalgia had passed, Reborn started wondering if there was a bell he could ring to alert the owner of his presence. Mr. Luciano had one back in the days and was often used by customers to call him when he had to work in the kitchens. This new owner, however, seemed to have taken the thing away.

Reborn was still wondering how to call him out when a low growl interrupted his thoughts.

Reborn's first instinct was to reach for his gun - actually, his first instinct when confronted with something new was to reach for his gun - but he quickly pushed it down. Drawing a gun in a café was just asking for trouble. Reborn may have been accused by many to be trigger-happy, but he wasn't that far gone…yet.

Instead, he took a deep breath and slowly turned his head towards where he thought the sound was coming from. When he came face to face with a…lion cub, his mouth fell open - undignified in the extreme, but can people really blame him?

The cub – small and entirely too adorable – was too unassuming to cause a threat so Reborn simply stared at it in confusion, wondering if he was seeing things. After all, why would a lion cub be in a café, in the middle of the day?

And if Reborn had thought the day couldn't get any weirder, the cub decided to disapprove the notion by promptly bursting in to flames.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>


	2. The Wheels of Fate

**Chapter 2**

* * *

><p><strong>08.07.2007. Location: Café Del Cielo, Sicily, Italy. <strong>

There comes a time in every man's life where he has to succumb to the inevitability of the realization that the world was much bigger than he was and that there were many things that he was not aware of. Reborn, of course, knew this, but being who he was, had never anticipated that that moment would come so soon.

The cub growled even louder, driving the point home.

Reborn sighed.

"What are you?" He asked the flame ball in wonderment. As part of the Vongola, Reborn had the chance of witnessing first hand the wonderment of some of the world's most advanced technology. However, none of them included a life like lion cub who can engulf itself in flames.

From his safe difference a few feet away - not that safe but the hit man was confident that the cub wasn't about to attack, Reborn took his time to examine this new development. At first, he had thought the flames were just normal flames, but on second thought, the hit man realized, much to his shock, that they were actually Sky Flames and highly Pure ones at that. The few times he had seen them was when the Ninth had despatched them to deal with an intruder. He had thought that the old man would be the only one in the country to be able to wield them so to be disapproved in such a fashion was not easy to digest.

"Hmmm," he mumbled, blinking at the sudden brightness, "I wonder what Nono would think of this."

For a moment, he entertained the idea of simply taking the cub and returning home to show his boss what he had found, but he quickly discarded that idea when the cub made another threatening growl. Sky flames are harmless against anyone the user do not wish to harm and Reborn has the distinct impression that he was not in that category.

"Fine, fine," he grumbled, sounding extremely not like him self. His right hand was itching towards his gun once more, but for some reason, Leon hadn't made a single move to crawl down from the brim of his hat.

Just as he was about to get up and...do what, he wasn't sure, the door leading to the kitchen area burst open and footsteps came pounding out. A male body - early twenties or late teens, Reborn judged - came in to view and a pair of surprisingly defined hands scooped the little fire hazard without a second thought.

The flames immediately extinguished themselves.

"I'm so sorry," a male accented voice said in Italian, "he's not supposed to be out here on his own. I left him in my room and he must have sneaked out."

"No foul," Reborn assured the man and did a double take when he took in the other's features.

First a lion cub who can use Sky Flames and now a young man looking like the carbon copy of Primo? How many coincidences can there be in one day!

"I'm Robert," Reborn said quickly, using his false name. He still didn't know a thing about this guy and wasn't about to divulge his own secret. Reborn's name may be extremely well known in the underworld, but his face was still a well kept secret. As a hit man, that was critical.

Something flicked across the other man's face - something like recognition? - before it settled back in to a mask of cheerfulness.

"It's nice to meet you Robert," he replied, shaking Reborns offered hand, "My name is Tsunami."

The Japanese man then gestured to the lion, a fond look in his eyes.

"And this is my darling companion Natsu."

"What is Natsu?" Reborn couldn't help but ask, eyes leaving Tsunami's face to land on the cub once more.

"Natsu is difficult to explain," Tsunami admitted, "he's not a regular pet because he came from a box."

Reborn choked.

"A box?" He asked incredulously, "like a toy?"

Tsunami beamed at him.

"Yes, you can say that he's a toy; a very life like one but a toy nonetheless."

"And why can he burst in to flames?" The hit man pursued, "is that normal?"

"Natsu was given to me by a friend for protection. The flames only comes out when he fears my life is in danger. So that begs the question, are you here to kill me, Mr. Customer?"

Reborn's eyes widened minutely before he forced his expression back to a more neutral form. Tsunami was...weird, he decided. For someone who believed that his life may be in danger, the young man was surprisingly calm about it.

"I'm not here to kill you," he finally said, "I'm here for a cup of coffee. This is a cafe right?"

Tsunami laughed easily at that, depositing his bundle of fur back on to the counter. As soon as his paws hit the surface, Natsu shot off towards the kitchen, seemingly content on leaving his master with Reborn.

The swinging door of the kitchen swung shut behind him and Tsunami smiled.

"Who's this friend?" Reborn asked, wondering just who was this good and has managed to stay off Vongola's radar.

Almost like a light switch had been turned off, Tsunami's expression shut down and his body language closed off.

"That is a secret," he said, "now, I'm going to get you that coffee."

He turned around, back straight as he headed towards the swinging doors. Reborn blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to comment on how Tsunami hadn't even taken his order when Tsunami stopped.

"Don't worry Mr. Customer," he said, playfulness creeping back in to his tone, "I know exactly what you want."

* * *

><p><strong>08.07.2007. Location: Café Del Cielo, Sicily, Italy. <strong>

Natsu made a second appearance about 5 minutes later, bounding up to Reborn and jumping up and down on his hind legs. For a lion cub, he was acting surprisingly like a puppy; a puppy who wanted to be picked up by the looks of it.

Reborn wanted to say no, because now that he knew what the furry menace could do, running the risk of it bursting in to flame once more wasn't exactly appealing. However, seeing Reborn's lack of a response, Natsu took his decision for him by jumping in to his lap. Any further attempts to throw him off were met with intense growling.

Reborn sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

Luckily, Tsunami soon came out after that, holding a tray containing a cup of some sweet smelling liquid and a muffin in one hand. He actually stopped in his tracks when he noticed where his precious cub had decided to perch himself, and his eyebrows rose so high that they were running the risk of disappearing in to his hairline. It didn't take an expert on human behavior to deduce that it must be rare for Tsunami to see Natsu warm up so quickly to a stranger. For some reason, that realization made Reborn immensely proud of himself. And just for the heck of it, he scratched the young cub behind his ears, causing the purring to intensify.

"Right…" Tsunami said, in a tone that suggested he was no longer sure how the world worked. Reborn could sympathize.

Shaking his head, Tsunami deposited his tray on to the bar. He was still looking at Natsu in confusion so Reborn took it upon himself to reach out a hand for the cup.

The black liquid contained within smelled delicious so he took a sip.

It was…in one word…the nectar of the Gods.

Bitter and sweet; a perfect combination that Reborn had never thought he would be a fan of. It was simply divine. Reborn actually wondered if the man had sold his soul to the devil to be able to make something so delicious in such a short time.

"I take it that you approve."

The amusement in Tsunami's voice made Reborn look up, but he was still too blissed out by the concoction Tsunami had served him to be truly annoyed by the smugness almost radiating off of him.

"It's ok," Reborn blatantly lied, causing Tsunami to burst in to peels of delighted laughter. From his lap, Natsu looked up, confused by the sudden commotion.

"Why don't you try the muffin for size?" Tsunami suggested once he got his body under control. "It's blueberry."

Since the drink had been fantastic, Reborn didn't hesitate to comply. Taking up the fork Tsunami had brought along for him, Reborn takes a small piece of the muffin, marvelling at how soft it was. Slowly, he directs the utensil to his mouth and swallows his bite.

There were no words strong enough to describe how delicious the muffin was. Combined with the slight bitter taste of the coffee, it was like an orgasm in your mouth. Reborn hates to admit it – out of loyalty to Mr. Luciano of course – but this is probably at least 10 times better than what he had before.

"What is in this?" he finally asked when the whole plate had been cleaned off.

"Blueberry," Tsunami replied with a shrug, not answering the question and looking pleased with himself. "How was it, Mr. Customer?"

Reborn took a moment to collect himself and cleared his throat.

"It's ok," he repeated, his tone dead serious.

This prompted the young man to laugh once more. It was then Reborn was hit by the realization of how young Tsunami looked.

"I'm glad someone enjoys my baking," Tsunami told him.

Reborn gaped; the question of age all but forgotten.

"You baked them yourself?"

It wasn't entirely unbelievable for Tsunami to be this good, but he had truly thought that the young man had hired some kind of world-class chef to do the cooking. Now, he was seeing the other man in an entirely new light.

Tsunami smiled.

"Why don't I get you another muffin for the road? It's going to get crowded in here soon and for some reason, I have the impression that you don't particularly like crowds."

"That would be great," Reborn replied, ignoring Tsunami's comment. He took out his wallet to pay and paused when Tsunami shot out a hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about it," he said, "Today's on the house. Let's say it's a thank you for entertaining Natsu."

Reborn blinked in confusion for a second, before remembering the lion cub in his lap. He looked down and found that Natsu had curled up in a ball and fallen asleep. At the sight, Reborn couldn't resist extending a hand to caress the cub's mane, marvelling at how soft it felt. He stared at the small thing for a few seconds before looking up once more, just in time to see Tsunami smiling at him before the young man turned around and disappeared in to the kitchen.

* * *

><p><strong>08.07.2007. Location: Cafe Del Cielo, Sicily, Italy, Time: 10.30<strong>

As soon as the door to the Cafe closed behind the man, Tsuna extracted a slim cell phone form his pocket and dialled a number that he now remembered by heart.

"Hey. It's me," he said in to the receiver once the person on the other side picked him.

"Tsuna, you idiot," was the grumpy reply, "Do you know what time is it here?"

Tsuna chuckled, passing a hand through his hair. With his body still pumped with adrenaline after his encounter with Reborn, he had totally forgot that his friend wasn't exactly in the same time zone.

"Sorry about that," he replied, only half-sincere, "I just wanted to tell you that I made first contact with Reborn today."

Shocked silence followed his statement.

"That was fast." His tone was neutral, carefully hiding whatever he was truly feeling.

Tsuna sighed audibly.

"I took over this cafe because I heard it was the frequent dive spot for Vongola Members, but I never expected Reborn to appear. My sources had told me he would be in Japan training the heir."

"He must be back to see the Ninth."

Tsuna bit his lip in thought.

"Natsu ran out before I had the chance to stop him and when I caught up with him, he had already burst in to flames."

More silence.

"So Reborn now knows about him being able to use Sky Flames."

Tsuna glared at nothing in particular, while berating himself for his oversight.

"Reborn will ask around. He'll get nosy. Things are progressing faster than I anticipated. Can you take care of that? Make sure he gets redirected once or twice?"

"Of course," was the reply, "It would be my pleasure."

Ignoring the malicious tone, Tsuna continued.

"Despite this, our operations will continue as usual."

"Of course."

With that out of the way, Tsuna asked the next question that had been bugging him for a while.

"Have you had any news about the Cosa Family?"

"It's been dealt with," the man assured simply, "They won't be causing any more problems after this. The children, of course, were returned to their families. Our contact in the Police Department wants to thank you personally for your help in this case, but of course I told him that it was impossible. You are the Shadow King after all."

Tsuna sighed in relief. The Cosa Family had recently become a huge threat to locals by kidnapping young children and selling them off. Tsuna was lucky enough to find someone to infiltrate the operation and put a stop to it before it was too late.

"First of all, don't call me that. And second of all, thank you."

"No problemo, boss," was the reply, "Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep."

Tsuna smirked.

"Sorry to bother you. I'll be in touch."

He hung up with a sigh, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things left for him to do.

* * *

><p><strong>08.08.2007. Location: Apartment above Cafe Del Cielo , Sicily, Italy. Time: 2.30 AM.<strong>

_It was cold...so cold...as if winter had came early and he was stuck outside without a coat._

_Where was he?_

_"Do you really think you can hide from me little boy?"_

_"Who are you!?" Tsuna yells, body trembling. _

_"Do you really think that I won't find a way to eradicate you and all you hold dear?" the voice continues to taunt._

_"Leave me alone!"_

_Laughter filled the room, making Tsuna shiver in fear._

_"Now that's impossible. You made your choice, now you have to suffer the consequences!"_

The laughter trailed off as Tsuna woke up with a scream, eyes wide, heart pounding, skin covered with sweat.

"Goddamn it. Why..." he whispered brokenly, "Why are you doing this to me? Didn't I make enough sacrifices in a life time?"

Natsu, sensing his master's distress, jumped on to the bed, whimpering softly. The sound made Tsuna turn to him and reach out a trembling hand to pet the cub on the head. It whined before butting against Tsuna, hoping to comfort him.

"Thank you Natsu," the young man said softly, "Thank you for being here for me."

The nightmares were getting worse which could only mean that the gears of fate were slowly beginning to turn. It was too early, Tsuna knew. The Vongola were not strong enough; Yoshi Sawada wasn't strong enough. But, who is Tsuna to fight against something that was decided by a force so much powerful than he? All he could do was pray that everything turns out ok at the end.

With a sigh, Tsuna burrowed himself back under the covers, hoping against hope to get at least a few hours more of rest before he has to get up for work.

As he slowly descended in to slumber, the orange pacifier resting on the nightstand beside him began to glow.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC.<strong>


	3. New Developments

**Chapter 3 New Developments**

**A/N: **First of all, thank you for those wonderful reviews. It really encourages me to update faster. This is the next part of the story. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>08.09.2007. Location: Namimori, Japan. <strong>

Life without Reborn, Yoshi decided as he got out of bed, was definitely weird. For one thing, he was no longer being woken up in the morning by the oh-so-dulcet tones of gunshots close to his ear or hit on the head by a Leon-Hammer whenever he got a homework answer wrong. Without his tutor-from-hell breathing down his neck, he could go back to his old habit of sleeping in without fearing for his life or eating as much as he wanted without someone calling him fat.

It…was…nice.

"Mom," he said to Nana after he swallowed another bite of his truly delicious breakfast. Today, Nana has decided to go with a more Western twist to the usual miso soup and rice that was usually served in Japan. Logically, such a combination shouldn't really work, but thanks to Nana's expert cooking skills, the food had turned out fantastic. "Why can't Reborn stay gone?"

"You know why honey," Nana chided gently as she deposited a plate of eggs on to the table; it was an old argument that had been going on ever since Reborn's appearance. Yoshi sighed and looked up at his mother.

Today, Nana had decided to wear a bright sundress; red with sunflowers that complimented perfectly her skin tone. Her hair, the young heir saw, was looking extra shiny. She was probably planning on going out later that day. "But Mom," he whined.

"Reborn is here to help you become the best you can be. He'll leave once he's satisfied with the result."

Yoshi made a face.

Knowing Reborn, he'll never be satisfied with him and he would be stuck with the sadistic bastard for the rest of his life. And wasn't that a terrifying thought.

"Yeah mom," he groaned, feeling defeated. His mother was unaware of anything concerning the Mafia so to keep her safe, Yoshi couldn't exactly tell her some of the other reasons why he wanted Reborn gone. Being a Mafia boss interested him as much as jumping in front of an incoming train. And if he was being honest, the results would probably be the same in the long run. "Whatever you say."

Once breakfast was done with, Yoshi decided to take full advantage of his Reborn-free days to go for a run. The weather outside was beautiful; not too cold and not too hot. He had woken up with a headache and a walk around the neighborhood would clear his head and put him in a much better mood. Physical exercise was something that Yoshi actually enjoyed, not only because did it help him stay in shape, but it also had the added benefit of shutting up the voices inside his head. They were getting louder and louder lately, almost as if warning him of an oncoming storm. Yoshi didn't know if he should ignore it or be very afraid for his life.

At the front door, Yoshi bent down to tie his shoe laces before straightening up again. He had only brought a water bottle with him, not wanting any extra weight to slow him down. Besides, he won't be gone long. The jacket he had tied around his waist was only for precaution purposes although judging by the blinding sun; he probably won't be needing it anytime soon.

After yelling goodbye to Nana, Yoshi exited the house and started a small jog towards the marketplace, blissfully unaware of the pair of eyes trained on him behind military-grade binoculars.

* * *

><p><strong>08.09.2007. Location: Café del Cielo, Sicily, Japan.<strong>

Tsuna Del Cielo was in the process of closing up shop when his cellphone rang; the shrill ringtone easily reverberating against the walls of the empty cafe. Still a little dazed from hitting his head on bar a few seconds ago - another proof that his natural clumsiness was out to get him, it took Tsuna a moment to realize that it wasn't coming from the "specialty phone" that he used to contact X, his mysterious benefactor, but his regular one whose number both his friends and allies possessed. As he reached out to grab the device from the bar drawer he had stored it in, he wondered who would be calling him at this time of the day.

Perhaps someone from Japan? There was a 7 hours time difference after all. While Tsuna would consider this time of the evening very late to be making phone calls, people in Japan would still be in the early afternoon.

As it turned out, his guess had been right. The caller was indeed from Japan, as evidenced by the number flashing on his screen. But, that just answered one of his questions since he couldn't for the life of him place where he saw this number before.

"Hello?" Tsuna said cautiously in to the phone. He was half afraid it was some kind of prank call and half afraid it was a ransom call. He had received one of the latter variety a few years ago. The criminal in question was so in to his "give me the money or your kid dies" speech that it took Tsuna 2 minutes to be able to tell him that he got the wrong number. It was enough for him to trace the call and give the location to the police. Despite everything ending well with the child returned to her parents, it wasn't an experience Tsuna was looking to repeat any time soon.

Luckily, that won't be happening today.

"Boss!" replied a very, very familiar voice, putting the young man immediately at ease. He smiled a little to himself, his body relaxing as leant back against the bar.

"Well, well, well," he began playfully, "Hayato Gokudera, as I live and breath. It's being a long time."

"Yeah, yeah," the other teen grumbled good-naturedly, "I was busy running around the world."

"And what are you doing in Japan?"

There was a pause and Tsuna's initial good cheer started to dissipate.

"I got a call from that friend of yours, the one you call X?"

"What about it?"

"He told me that with Reborn gone, I should take a detour. He wanted someone to look after the Heir."

That was actually a great idea and Tsuna berated himself for not thinking it. With the Ninth's plan in action, Yoshi's identity would have no doubt travelled the underworld circles, putting a big target on his head.

"So, is there something wrong?" Tsuna asked, suddenly aware that this can't be the reason why Gokudera called. His friend may be a hotheaded person most of the time, but he was a professional. When he was sent on these "missions", he didn't call unless something big happened. Being asked to go to Japan to look after Yoshi wasn't exactly "big" in Tsuna's book.

"Sawada was attacked this morning."

Tsuna felt his heart skid to a halt.

"Who-" he didn't even manage to finish his question before Gokudera answered.

"Assassins from the Gio Familia. They are a small fraction in Italy, not at all happy with Vongola's moral code. According to them, the Vongola aren't even real Mafia considering the number of legal businesses they own."

"Was Yoshi…" he trailed off, mind refusing to accept the alternative. Yoshi had to be ok; his plan had to go on.

"Yeah he's ok. I managed to stop the attack before it got too bad," Gokudera assured him and Tsuna breathed out a sigh of relief. "X actually called in some hotshot surgeon/doctor from New York to attend him. He should recover with no complications."

"I understand," Tsuna closed his eyes, letting the adrenaline rush out of him. With all that gone, Tsuna suddenly felt tired and older than he actually was. "Thank you, Gokudera, for your hard work."

There was a beat of silence. Tsuna could practically hear Gokudera's brain working on the other side of the sea.

"Boss, where do you think these assassins got their information? The location of Sawada's house can't be common knowledge. Someone must be pulling the strings because from what I saw of the Gio Familia, they're a bunch of idiots who can't put together this kind of plan to save their own hides."

"That did occur to me," Tsuna admitted, passing a hand through his hair, "and I don't know the answer."

"Maybe X knows," Gokudera said, trying to cheer Tsuna up, "After all, that bastard seem to know everything and everyone. It's creepy as hell, but useful to the extreme."

Tsuna smiled at that.

"You're right," he said, "I should give him a call."

They chatted about inconsequential things for the next few minutes before Tsuna bid Gokudera goodbye and hung up, his mind still a mess. Things were developing way too fast. Tsuna had truly thought he had more time before the wheels of fate, as he called them, began to turn. This new development didn't make the situation impossible, but it meant that the passive role Tsuna had assumed up to now was going to have to change. Directing everything from Italy was no longer an option; he will have to head to Japan.

Tsuna couldn't resist the urge to moan in frustration. Why was this happening to him right now? Right when another huge problem just landed in his hands.

The pacifier…

Ever since he got it, the orange pacifier had remained dormant, like a toy with its batteries pulled out. Tsuna had expected it to remain that way for the rest of its existence so to see it suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree nearly gave him a heart attack. Tsuna knew that logically, this wasn't supposed to happen. That was because after the curse had been broken, he should be the last person on earth to possess this kind of object. From what he had learned about the Arcobaleno, the pacifier will only light up when another is near. How can another be near when no other should even exist in the first place? It was a mystery that Tsuna didn't particularly want to have to solve.

His contemplations were cut short when the door to the Café opened and he was just about to yell out a "we're closed" when a man came in, dressed incapably in a business suit tailored to fit his tall form perfectly. He was carrying a briefcase and had on a hat that one would normally see in old detective movies of the film noir variety.

"I'm not here for the coffee," the man said, his Japanese accent-less and fluid. "I'm here to talk to you Tsuna."

The baretta that Tsuna always kept on himself for protection was in his hands and pointed towards the man before the other could even take another step. It was his only defense as Natsu was still sleeping in his room.

"Who are you?" Tsuna asked calmly, his golden brown eyes cold and unfeeling, "How do you know my name?"

The man looked amused; a rather strange reaction to someone being confronted with a lethal weapon.

"Now, now," he began, "Is that the way to greet someone who has been helping you for the past decade, my little Shadow King?"

Tsuna gaped. Another impossibility to add to his list.

"X!?" he asked incredulously, unwilling to believe that his mysterious benefactor has finally deemed it necessary to show himself. "Oh my god!"

"That's me," X said, smiling with genuine warmth, "It's good to see you in person Tsuna."

And that right there was enough for this whole fucked up situation to finally get to the young man, sending him to the ground in a fit of hysterical laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>08.09.2007. Location: Café del Cielo, Sicily, Japan.<strong>

Once Tsuna had calmed down, he quickly got up to close all the doors and pulled down all the blinds, not wanting anyone to either spy on them or intrude on their conversation. As he worked mechanically, his mind went back to what he had gleamed from his companion.

X was young, Tsuna decided, but not so young that he should still be in school. If Tsuna's intuition was correct, he would peg X as physically being somewhere between late twenties and early thirties. But, mentally speaking, he was probably older, much older. Apart from a big scar on his face, the man was handsome, but with more delicate features than most. He wasn't so feminine that he could easily pass as a woman, but he would never be accused of being manly by anyone with eyes.

Apart from the small knife he had strapped to his calf, X surprisingly didn't carry any other weapon. Either he wasn't sure how to use them or that he was so confident in his own hand-to-hand ability that bringing them would just be a dead weight. Judging by what he knew of X, Tsuna guessed it was the latter.

Once the security systems were up, Tsuna invited the other man to sit down.

"I never expected you to just show up," Tsuna began when the other man didn't look as if he wanted to start talking any time soon, "This must be serious for you to discard the veil of animosity and come to me in person."

"As you might have heard," X finally said, "The heir was attacked this morning. Even with my resources, I cannot seem to find the source of the leak and that worries me immensely."

Tsuna's hand tightened in to fists for a second before he consciously forced himself to relax.

"Something bigger than we had anticipated is at play here," he admitted, "That is why I'll be heading to Namimori as soon as possible. Whoever it is will be targeting Yoshi and he is still too new at this to be able to protect himself."

"What about Reborn?"

"Reborn's methods are not effective enough," Tsuna replied, "It's not his fault, he does not know Yoshi as well as I do. And as for Reborn recognizing me? Well, I already have a cover story planned so that won't be a problem."

"How are you planning to train Sawada with Reborn breathing down your neck?"

Tsuna smiled without any joy.

"That is the part where I have some difficulty with," Tsuna admitted, "But I have always been good at improvising; I'll see where the winds of Fate will bring me."

X sighed, leaning back against his chair and favored Tsuna with a look.

"You better move fast than because I just got news that the Varia is on the move. Xanxus just caught wind that the Ninth is intending to send the Vongola Rings to Japan for safekeeping. Who he will chose as the carrier is still unknown, but it won't take long. There is the distinct possibility that he will just send them back with Reborn since he is set to return to Japan in a few days."

"Does he plan to steal the rings and force it to recognize him as a candidate?" Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise. "If that's the case, there will be a battle between the official heir and the one wanting to take his place."

"That's the idea," X grunted, "And considering that Yoshi doesn't even have a single guardian, things are not looking up for him."

"This really isn't good," Tsuna lamented, mind racing at 100km per hour, trying to find a solution to this nightmare. "But whatever happens, I need to get to Japan. Can you arrange that for me?"

"Of course," X replied promptly, "Get packed and head towards Palermo Airport. I'll call you there with the details of your flight. But, Tsuna, what are you going to do with the Cafe?"

Tsuna smiled.

"I'm moving it to Japan of course. I doubt there are many Italian Cafes in Namimori and I hear these things are getting pretty popular with kids these days."

* * *

><p><strong>08.09.2007. Location: Vongola HQ, Sicily, Italy.<strong>

Being called to the Ninth office wasn't something Reborn had expected, but nonetheless when the summons came, he went without any signs of surprise visible on his face.

"I think you're going to have to cut your trip short," was the first thing Nono said, not even bothering with the usual greetings. His expression was grim and Reborn knew that something must have happened while he was gone, "Yoshi was attacked this morning."

_What?_

"How is that possible?" he asked, trying to stay calm, "No one should even no where he lived."

The location of where the Heir lived was a well-kept secret that only a select few knew. Despite his misgivings towards Iemitsu, Reborn had to admit that the man was obsessed with his family's safety. Whoever found out was either very resourceful or – Reborn's fist tightened at the idea – managed to follow him without his knowledge. None of those theories made him feel any better.

"Yes, someone did." the Ninth replied and Reborn detected a trace of accusation in his tone. He was probably disappointed that Reborn didn't think of assigning a guard to protect the heir while he was in Italy, "Luckily a passerby managed to help him and chase off the attackers. However, Yoshi still sustained some injuries that sent him to the hospital. Luckily, his doctor is extremely efficient so he should recover without complications.

Reborn's lips tightened.

"I understand," he said, "I'll be returning tonight."

Looks like the mystery of Café del Cielo was going to have to wait. But, maybe he can visit one last time before he has to leave.

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>

A/N: Well, that's it for today, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next Chapter, we will be heading back to Namimori and Tsuna will be opening his new cafe.

While the Pairing for Tsuna had already been decided, I still need a pairing for Yoshi. It probably won't be happening too soon, but if anyone wants to give a suggestion, that would be great.

As always, please read and review, it always makes me happy to read your comments.

One last note, unless your question has to do with a plot inconstancy, I will unfortunately not be answering it. That is because I don't want to spoil the story too soon. Still, I would love to read them. It may even help me with ideas for future chapters. I have a general idea of where this story is heading to, but input from readers of what they would like to see is always welcome.

**NOTE: ! If you have a scene you would like to see play out and I don't see it interfering with the plot, I will see if it fits and if it does, I'll be happy to put it in. I'm always looking for new ideas.**

With that said, see you guys soon.


	4. Japan

**Chapter 4 Japan**

**08.10.2007. Location: Tokyo Airport, Japan. **

It was testament to scarily efficient X was that a man was already waiting for him at the arrival's gate. He was dressed in casual wear – jeans and a graphic shirt – and blended in perfectly with the tourists. Tsuna mentally applauded his decision; most people affiliated with the mafia tend to go all black; sometimes, they don't seem to be aware that that only made them stand out even more.

"Tsuna Del Cielo?" The man asked, voice emotionless. It seemed at odds with his highly colorful "I'm the life of the party" t-shirt.

"Yeah that's me," Tsuna nodded, "Who sent you?"

"X," the man replied. He took out a letter – a small note actually – complete with X's signature, collaborating the man's story. If this was a fake, Tsuna decided, it was the best fake he had ever seen.

"Thank you," he said, putting the letter in his jacket pocket. "Shall we go?"

* * *

><p><strong>08.10.2007. Location: Sawada Home, Nanimori, Japan. <strong>

"Ciaossu!" Reborn called out as he pushed open the house door thanks to the key Nana had given him, "I'm back." The house was entirely too quiet and for a moment, Reborn thought there was no one home when footsteps attracted his attention.

"Reborn!" Nana said in surprise as she quickly came over to greet him. She was looking tired again; evidenced by the newly formed bags under her eyes. "I didn't expect you back so soon. I didn't even make dinner yet."

"It's fine," Reborn said quickly, not wanting to bother the woman in her time of trouble. He was aware that Yoshi's attack had been particularly difficult on her. Nana had already lost her first son and the possibility of losing her second was enough to send her in to a nervous breakdown. "Is Yoshi here?"

"He's upstairs," Nana bit her bottom lip, looking uncertain. "Reborn," she finally continued, "Please don't be too harsh on him, he's still recovering."

"I won't," Reborn assured her and made his way up the stairs.

As Nana had said, Yoshi Sawada was in his room, sitting on his bed with his back propped against the wall. There were numerous bandages adorning his face, but the most obvious injury seemed to be the arm the doctors have put in a cast. But, apart from that, the man seemed to be ok.

"Reborn!" Yoshi nearly jumped up in surprise, his eyes going from his tall form to the door. "When…when did you come back?"

"Just today," Reborn replied, taking more steps inside. "And don't look so scared idiot; I won't hurt you."

Yoshi seemed to relax, but just minutely. It was obvious he didn't trust Reborn at all.

The hit man sighed and took out the yellow pacifier he still kept as a souvenir. Although it didn't work anymore now that the curse was gone, it still served as a conduit for his flames. It was sad that the curse had greatly reduced his healing powers for some reason, but Reborn would gladly take that than being stuck in his infant body for the rest of his life.

"Hold still," he said sharply and closed his eyes.

Healing Yoshi took a lot out of him and by the time he was done, the world was spinning. He ignored it of course, preferring to stumble to his feet and point a finger at the teen.

"Training restart tomorrow; go see if there are other injuries you need to heal."

With that, he stumbled back out of the room, using the walls as support. He really hoped that nothing happens today because he was in no shape to fight anyone.

* * *

><p><strong>08.11.2007. Location: Café Del Cielo, Nanimori, Japan. <strong>

Opening a new café was surprisingly easy when you had contacts to help you expedite the process, Tsuna discovered. Gokudera, whose help Tsuna has asked for, quickly found an old café whose owner had been looking to sell for a long time. He even agreed to transfer the business license to Tsuna. So, instead of having to go through the arduous process of applying for a new business license, Tsuna simply took over the old place and changed the storefront. Thus, a day since his arrival in Namimori and the Café Del Cielo was once again open for business.

"This place is perfect," Gokudera told him, ever the loyal friend, "The décor is simply incredible. How did you do this in such a small amount of time?"

"Magic," Tsuna replied smugly and handed him an apron.

For a minute, it seemed as if the other teen had no idea what to do, before he sighed and accepted the garment.

"Is there an apartment upstairs?" he asked as he tied the strings behind his back. Tsuna resisted the urge to smile at the image of bad-boy Gokudera wearing an apron and sweeping the floor. It was a privilege that the other was accepting to do this for him. Tsuna knew that if it was anyone else, Gokudera would never have agreed. His pride would have prevented him from doing so.

"Yes there is," Tsuna answered, amusement carefully hidden, "My bags are already up there. Natsu has been let out and is taking a nap on the bed."

"Uri refuses to come out," Gokudera informed Tsuna, referring to his own box pet. Despite his protest that Uri is nothing like him, Tsuna found that the little cat was actually pretty similar in temperament to Gokudera. She was moody and hotheaded, but was loyal and always ready to defend her master. Gokudera keeps telling Tsuna that they exist in a state of mutual tolerance; Uri would fight when necessary, and Gokudera would feed her and let her come out whenever she feels like it.

"Maybe she'll come out if she sees Natsu," Tsuna suggested and grinned when Gokudera just grimaced.

"You know she likes to bully that little guy," he tells Tsuna, "You should be tougher on her."

Tsuna just waved his hands to dismiss the idea.

"Don't worry," he said, "Cats will be cats."

Gokudera opened his mouth to protest, but the possibly of any further conversation was cut off when the door opened to let in Tsuna's first ever customer.

"Ah, Welcome to Café Del Cielo. May I interest you in some freshly baked muffins?"

* * *

><p><strong>TBC<strong>.


End file.
